This is my second post today, but I think this emergency warrants it. I have a platy that just gave birth to a fry...through a hole in her side! I'm positive its not the vent the baby came out of. Its a legitimate hole in her side, like the baby was that creature from alien. I'm more than a trifle worried, considering the circumstances, and I was just wondering if anyone has heard of anything like this happening before?

In my previous post, I made mention that she had a swollen belly with a red patch. That red patch has expanded, and its has gotten a lot more vibrant red. There is no blood, but there seems to be things protruding from the hole. They are bright red and look remarkably like blood worms (I haven't fed her blood worms in a month) The fins on her belly are still pine coned. She seems to be a bit stressed out (understandably).

I guess my main question is: What is going on? Has anyone heard of this happening before? What should I do? The one fry that did come out seems to be fully formed (carried to term, I mean). I should mention that I didn't actually see my platy give birth. I just saw the fry. So it is possible that she gave birth normally. However, she still has a hole in her side.

I expect that she is pregnant with more than just one fry. I know the mother probably isn't going to survive, but I also wonder if there's a way I can get the fry out of her.

I'm sorry if this post is a bit spacey. This is one of the more insane fish emergencies I've had.

Thanks for your time.

Romad

11-01-2010 07:31 AM

Eeeeew. Poor fishy.

I haven't seen worms firsthand but have you tried googling Anchor Worms yet? Are these things alive?

Nauriel

11-01-2010 06:16 PM

No, they aren't anchor worms, but thanks for the suggestion.

Unfortunately, Gandalf died during the night and didn't have any more fry:( .

This is going to sound a bit gross, but after she died I squeezed her belly, and more fry popped out of the hole in her side (They were dead). I still have no idea what happened, despite numerous google searches.

However, on the lighter side, the fry is doing well. He already ate a little bit this morning. He has been dubbed by my roommates and me as "Gandalf the White Chest Bursting Alien Zombie Fish".

Chicklet

11-01-2010 07:16 PM

You got the camalanus parasite, That's what your seeing hanging out the vent/hole, lots of little parasites.
The baby fry busted out her side because thats what the camelanus worm does,

The baby is most likely infected with the parasite as well as everything else in the tank, camalanus worm is very easily transmitted from fish to fish thru a simple drop of water, nets, hoses, buckets, everything. It can be a devil to rid yourself of. Levisole is about the only real treatment.

The camalanus parasite? That doesn't sound good. Would it cause her stomach to appear red? I was looking at the symptoms of it, but I never found one that stated the fish's belly would turn red because of the worms. Might it have been because of the added bulk of the fry?

Also, I noticed in the list of symptoms that the worms would protrude from the vent. I never saw that. Does that rule the parasite out?

Also, the description I gave of those red things is a bit misleading. I made it sound like they were long, when in reality they were not even a millimeter in length. They were also not moving. When I squeezed her, I didn't see any of the red things.

Chicklet

11-01-2010 09:00 PM

yes it can turn her stomach red,
No they don't always show themselves, They can retract back inside the fish very quickly,
Bursting from the side is normal with this worm when it is well advanced and the fish is just too full of them.
As to how far they pretrude or don't pretrude all depends on each fish and each case.

I've never seen that before!! Was it likely something that it hitched a ride in with some plant or may have been already growing in the fish at purchase??? How long does the worm live in the fish before showing signs?

I've never seen that before!! Was it likely something that it hitched a ride in with some plant or may have been already growing in the fish at purchase??? How long does the worm live in the fish before showing signs?

This parasite has been around for a very long time,
the main place it's been coming from as I have heard, read, is from fish that's been imported in, (it can be transferred from one tank to another with a simple drop of water, so do the math, if a simple drop will do it what won't,
Over the next few yrs I've heard it's going to be increasing in numbers, Which I have already seen happen around here, in just the past 6 months seems everyones crying over getting it. and most every case is traced back to the fish stores.
The parasite can live 6 months before even showing itself, if it ever does,
They say those mysterious deaths are often linked to this parasite,

I know some people swear that nearly every fish you purchase from a pet store has come in contact with this parasite and thats a big reason why they die.
I know since I purchased Leviscole" and treat any new fish I purchase, The deaths are almost none existence.

Everytime I have run into the parasite has been Fish I purchased from a pet store, or from someone who got frustrated with their fish dying and gave them to me to only find out after treatment they did great.